Premiere of a Christmas Classic
It’s a Wonderful Life had its first screening on 20 December 1946.
Christmas
Christmas with the Tudors
Christmas in Tudor England was a time for fasting, feasting and poking fun at the status quo.
An Eggless Christmas on the Home Front
The Ministry of Food was founded to help people survive rationing and to bolster morale during the Second World War. This became particularly important at Christmas.
New Year Knowns and Unknowns
As we take stock of the past year, the most famous event in English history reminds us of our inability to foresee the future.
Publication of A Christmas Carol
The first edition of 6,000 copies was published on 19 December 1843.
How Father Christmas Found his Reindeer
It took a long while for Rudolph and the other reindeer to team up with Santa Claus. But once they did, there was no stopping them.
The First Performance of ‘Silent Night’
A recital took place at the church of St Nicholas in Oberndorf in Salzburg, on the evening of 24 December 1818.
The Eggnog Riots
The Riot Act was read to young officers at West Point Military Academy on 25 December 1826, following a boisterous party which began the night before.
Panettone, Italy’s Favourite Christmas Cake
Rich enough to appeal to lords and dukes, the success of panettone through history is down to its festive, egalitarian simplicity.
Christmas Before Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens’ name conjures up the quintessential English Christmas. What were festivities like before their Victorian makeover?